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Shattered Star #72: Death

At the end of last session, our heroes were in dire peril, battling two rot grub swarms and three hungry wyverns!

The situation seemed grim, and indeed it was grim. Although two of the wyverns were slowed they both had a firm grasp on a struggling adventurer. In short order, Zainnis was ripped to pieces by one of the foul beasts, but Narfu was made of sterner stuff! The slippery monk was difficult to injured, although he also failed to break free.

Meanwhile, the other wyvern lunged across the battlefield and stabbed Karelia with its stinger, pumping poison into her body. She replied with a lightning bolt and fireball that injured the wyvern. While she did so, the rest of the party were busy fighting off the rot grubs. Several party members repeatedly ran through the wall of fire earlier conjured by Karelia to burn off the foul creatures before they could burrow into their bodies.

Eventually, the rot grubs were destroyed and one of the wyverns fell. Finally, Narfu managed to ram a feather into the wyvern’s mouth; suddenly a huge tree appeared, badly damaging the creature. Somehow it hung onto the battered monk, but by now the rest of the party were converging on the melee.

However, poison continued to course through Karelia’s veins and as the second wyvern was slain she also fell—victim to the virulent venom which the party could not counteract.

With its companions slain, and the slow spell finally ended the final wyvern took flight and retreated to the Black Keep. The party—many of its members badly injured—declined to give chase.

Now the heroes faced a terrible decision: Should they reactivate the Black Menhir, and risk more rock grubs pouring forth before they could flee this forsaken demi-plane or should they push on and attempt to find another way out…?

Creighton is the publisher at Raging Swan Press and the designer of the award winning adventure Madness at Gardmore Abbey. He has designed many critically acclaimed modules such as Retribution and Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands and worked with Wizards of the Coast, Paizo, Expeditious Retreat Press, Rite Publishing and Kobold Press.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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